// Officer Designator · O-1 to O-10 · NATO OF-1 to OF-9

NAVAL AVIATOR (1310)

The Unrestricted Line community of every U.S. Navy pilot — tactical jet, helicopter, and maritime patrol.

Insignia

Designator

1310

Abbreviation

PILOT

Community

Unrestricted Line

Paygrade Range

O-1 to O-10

NATO Range

OF-1 to OF-9

OVERVIEW

The 1310 Naval Aviator designator identifies Unrestricted Line officers in the U.S. Navy who are designated as pilots after completing the Naval Aviation Training Command pipeline. Naval Aviators fly every fixed-wing and rotary-wing aircraft in the Navy inventory — F/A-18E/F Super Hornet, F-35C Lightning II, MH-60R/S Seahawk, P-8A Poseidon, E-2D Hawkeye, and more — operating from aircraft carriers, expeditionary airfields, and shore bases worldwide.

A new Ensign or Second Lieutenant designated 1310 reports to NAS Pensacola, FL for Aviation Preflight Indoctrination (API), then progresses through Primary, Intermediate, and Advanced flight training across NAS Pensacola, NAS Whiting Field, NAS Corpus Christi, NAS Kingsville, and NAS Meridian. Total time from commissioning to "Wings of Gold" averages 18–24 months.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Pilot a U.S. Navy aircraft as Pilot in Command
Lead a flight, division, or squadron as a tactical leader
Serve as Department Head, Executive Officer, and Commanding Officer of a fleet aviation squadron
Maintain currency in primary platform and qualifying tactics

HISTORY

Naval aviation was born in 1911 when Glenn Curtiss demonstrated the first carrier-style takeoff and landing for the U.S. Navy. The Navy's first 16 designated Naval Aviators received their wings in 1912. The "Wings of Gold" insignia was authorized in 1917 and has been worn by every Navy pilot since.

Today the Naval Aviator community fields more than 4,000 active-duty officers and operates one of the world's largest air forces — distributed across ten nuclear-powered aircraft carriers, multiple expeditionary helicopter squadrons, and the maritime-patrol P-8A community. Naval Aviation officers also fill the Blue Angels, the Navy F-35C Demo Team, and Test Pilot School billets at NAS Patuxent River.

COMMISSIONING SOURCES

USNA
NROTC
OCS
STA-21

TRAINING PIPELINE

1. Aviation Preflight Indoctrination (API)~6 weeks
NAS Pensacola, FL
Aerodynamics, meteorology, aviation physiology, and water survival.
2. Primary Flight Training~6 months
NAS Whiting Field, FL or NAS Corpus Christi, TX
T-6B Texan II training; community pipeline assignment at completion.
3. Advanced Flight Training~6–12 months
NAS Kingsville TX / NAS Meridian MS / NAS Whiting Field FL / NAS Corpus Christi TX
Platform-specific training (T-45 Goshawk for tactical jets; TH-73 Thrasher for helicopters; T-44 King Air for maritime).

TYPICAL CAREER PATH

O-1/O-2
Flight School
API, Primary, Intermediate, and Advanced training across multiple Naval Air Stations.
O-2/O-3
Fleet Replacement Squadron + first sea tour
Operational training in primary platform, then assignment to a fleet squadron.
O-4
Department Head
After DH school, serve as Operations or Maintenance Department Head in a fleet squadron.
O-5
Squadron XO / CO
Executive Officer and then Commanding Officer of a fleet aviation squadron.
O-6
Air Wing Commander (CAG)
Command of a Carrier Air Wing — capstone tour for the Naval Aviation community.

RELATED DESIGNATORS

RELATED BASES

How to address

Same as the underlying officer rank — e.g., "Lieutenant Smith." Pilots are addressed by their callsign within the squadron ready room.

Prerequisites

Pass the Aviation Selection Test Battery (ASTB-E) and flight physical (Class I)
Successful completion of Aviation Preflight Indoctrination (API)
Successful completion of Primary, Intermediate, and Advanced flight training in a designated pipeline
Earn designation as a Naval Aviator and "Wings of Gold"

Common assignments

Squadron pilot in a fleet F/A-18, F-35C, P-8A, or MH-60 unit
Aircraft Carrier or amphibious-ship aviation department billet
Test pilot at Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division (NAS Patuxent River)
Joint or carrier strike group staff aviation officer

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

The 1310 designator identifies an Unrestricted Line officer in the Naval Aviation pilot community — a Naval Aviator. The companion designator 1320 identifies Naval Flight Officers (non-pilot aircrew).

Pipeline duration varies by platform but typically takes 18–24 months from commissioning to designation as a Naval Aviator.

All Naval Aviators begin at NAS Pensacola, FL for API, then move to NAS Whiting Field or NAS Corpus Christi for Primary, and to NAS Kingsville, NAS Meridian, NAS Whiting Field, or NAS Corpus Christi for Advanced based on platform pipeline.

SOURCES

Last updated 2026-05-02

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